Post office in Staten Island ferry terminal reopens

Advance photo/Kelliann VolsarioThe post office in the St. George Ferry Terminal is back in business.

It's been a long wait but commuters were finally able to mail letters and buy stamps at the St. George Ferry Terminal again today.

The terminal's post office, which closed in June 2004 to accommodate a complete renovation of the ferry terminal, will now be open Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for ferry-riders, said Postal Service spokesman Brian Michaelson.

"It's the ultimate convenience for our time-pressed commuters," he said, noting that an official ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held July 18. It had originally been scheduled to open in December but construction delays pushed back its comeback. "People are able to schedule their post office stuff around the boat schedule, which is a beautiful thing."

Many people have been upset about the long time it took to reopen the post office. The station's hours are the earliest on Staten Island, Michaelson said. Its opening will also lead to shorter lines at the windows at the St. George Post Office on Bay Street, he said.